born again

Nicodemus Asks Jesus About Being Born Again

Nicodemus Spicer

John 3:1 (KJV) There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

 


A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.

Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.
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Jesus Did, so we can do

De vijf Wijze en Dwaze Maagden, RP-P-OB-46.198

There is a phrase, “Jesus did it all”. Jesus did do it all in terms of satisfying the demands of God’s justice.  Jesus did what no man could do.  Jesus overcome the sin, sickness, and death that came in at the disobedience and fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.

But that does not mean that there is nothing left for man to do.

The first thing unredeemed man has to do is be born again into the kingdom of God.  Then there is more.

Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

 

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

 

II Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

 

 


A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.

Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.
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The Ten Lepers

Brooklyn Museum - The Healing of Ten Lepers (Guérison de dix lépreux) - James Tissot - overall

Is God involved in all of life or just religious life?

A crude comparison can be drawn between the church/religious life and a hospital/doctors.

A hospital exists, or should exist, to restore patients to health so that they can go back to live their normal lives. It does not exist as an entity by itself, or shouldn’t exist as an entity by itself, simply to make a profit. It should be part of the stream of life … taking in the sick … restoring them to health … and then releasing them to go back into society to do what they can uniquely do with their gifts and callings within society.

The same is true for a church. The church can help people see their need of Jesus and his redemption. It can help them be born again.  These people can go back into society to do what God uniquely called them to do, this time with God, rather than without him. Some may remain part of the church and become pastors or missionaries.  But many will go back to do what they do in society, only now with the Holy Spirit within them and the scriptures to guide them.

Jesus did not keep every person he helped as part of his pastoral team, so to speak. Some he directed to go back to their lives.

Mark 5:1 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.

2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.

5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,

7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.

8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.

9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.

10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.

11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.

12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.

13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.

14 And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done.

15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

16 And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.

17 And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.

18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.

19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

20 And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

 

Matthew 9:1 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.

2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.

4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?

5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?

6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

7 And he arose, and departed to his house.

 

Luke 17:11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.


A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.

Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.
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The Most Important Statistic

Eglise de la Madeleine (Tournus) Agnus Dei

We use numbers and statistics all the time from the number of items on a shopping list to statistics about the economy. Groups are counted. Surveys are taken. Statistics are compared. Groups are splintered into subgroups. The numbers in these subgroups are used for anything from calculating political decisions to brand marketing.

When it comes to God, there are only two groups that really matter.   The groups are divided into whether the soul is saved or not. That is the most important statistic.

We just came through the Easter season, also called the celebration of Jesus’s resurrection, also called the Passover.

The Blood of Jesus was shed for the salvation of the world. Jesus is the Lamb of God.

John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

 

Revelation 5:1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

 

The power of the Blood of Jesus was foretold in these verses.

Exodus 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.

13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

 

The only statistic with God that matters is the state of the soul.  Has the blood of Jesus been applied?  Is the soul born again?  There are only two states of the soul.  It doesn’t matter if someone is rich or poor, young or old, or any other classification you might want to consider.  Has the Blood been applied?  When God looks at the soul, can God pass over the soul in acceptance because God sees the Blood of Jesus applied,  or will the soul be judged?  That is the only statistic that matters.

Success in the kingdom is having been born again.  A person can have earthly success, and there is nothing wrong with that.  Job, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were all well off.  Joseph, Daniel, and King David held high political office.  But riches, even billions of dollars, even billions of dollars given in charity, without having the Blood of Jesus applied to the soul, without being born again, will not allow the soul to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Works of charity are good.  But they must come after being born again as a fruit, as a result of the new birth, not as an attempted means into the kingdom.

This is a theological battle of works or no works.  Works will not get you born into the kingdom of heaven.  A baby can only be born.  There are no works a baby can do to birth itself.  Now a baby can be born, grow, learn, work, and  grow into positions of responsibility.  Hard work and diligence can advance a person, but it comes after being born.

John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

 

It is not the money or lack of money. It is whether what Jesus accomplished at the cross, the Blood of Jesus and deliverance from sin, has been applied to the individual life.  Money is not evil.  It is the love of money that is the root of all evil.  The city of God has streets of gold.  God is not a poor God.  God cares for the state of the soul.  If a person is so controlled by money that he will lie, deceive, steal, kill, destroy,  create wars and destroy nations for more money and power, that’s a problem.  It’s that love of money that is the problem, not the money itself.

Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:

28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

 


A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.

Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.
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The Question Might Be Asked

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The question might be asked, since Jesus resurrected, then why are there still problems on earth?

The best way to understand things is to pick up a Bible and read from Genesis to Revelation.  Don’t get your information secondhand.  Read it yourself.

Here is a quick outline, but it is better if you read the whole Bible yourself.  God created man.  Man fell.  A righteous God could no longer have fellowship with mankind.  There had to be a legal remedy.  God gave Israel a temporary remedy in the Old Testament.  Jesus came as the final Lamb of God whose blood was shed for the redemption of the world.  When Jesus rose from the dead, he made a way for mankind again to connect with God.

However, entering into God’s kingdom is not automatic.  It is individual.  One by one by one…you must be born again.  This is what Jesus told Nicodemus.

John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

 

Luke 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

 

The day will come when Jesus will come back the second time.  The first time he came back offering mercy and salvation.  The Second Coming will involve judgment to his enemies.

We see the birth pangs of the Second Coming.

II Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.


A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.

Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.
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Isaiah 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

Guercino - Doubting Thomas - WGA10951

John 20:29 (KVJ) Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Isaiah 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

 

There are forces and powers we deal with every day that are unseen such as gravity, electricity, and the wind. There are other forces that are constructs of man that can be described mathematically or described by theory, such as economic theory or political theory. You can’t actually see them, but you can see the results of them in operation. There are invisible forces such as love or hate, kindness or jealousy, loyalty or betrayal. Again, these are unseen, but they can be felt and/or their consequences viewed.

What is in operation in the United States now? It is a force called demonic. Satan, called in the Bible by various names…the dragon, the devil, the serpent…is behind the extreme evil.

Why is it there? It is because the United States overall is apostate. It was founded by Christians who came for religious freedom and to freely serve their God. It was founded by those who believed that there was a God and that freedom was the freedom to obey God, to obey the will of God for their lives. The Founding Fathers belived in the importance of God in the political arena.

And this is, of course, why satan attacks the church.  Why are Christian churches attacked?  It is because Jesus, the head of the Church, paid the price on the cross to redeem mankind and take them out of satan’s hand, individually as each individual turns to God in repentance, desiring to be born again and become a child of God rather than of the devil.  It is only within true Bible-believing Chrisitian churches where the power of God exists through the name of Jesus, the Blood of Jesus,  and the operation of the Holy Spirit where there is the power to deal with satan.  This is why you see attacks on Christianity and not other other temples of religion.

Jesus is the only one who laid out the real stakes, the bottomline truth of what is occuring when there is evil.

John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

 

Sometimes the Bible is called a storyline.  However, it is actually a history of the world.  It is history that explains that this world was created by God.  God created man and woman and put them in a garden.  God’s enemy, who had been previously thrown out of heaven for attempting a coup for God’s throne, shows up in the garden and tempts the one appointed by God to take of the world, Adam and Eve his wife, to disobey God.  They did, they lost their job, they were cast out of the garden, and satan, the dragon, the devil. became the god of this world.

Easter, which is coming up, is the story, and history, of how God, the creator, legally solved that problem.  As God, God can do anything…except break his own laws.  It was a jurisdictional problem.  God gave man earthly authority.  Man lost it on earth.  Sin, sickness and death entered the world on the earth.  Out of love God came to the earth in the form of Jesus to redeem mankind back.  There are many ways to view Jesus, many aspects of Jesus’s life and ministry.  He was a healer, a teacher, a prophet, a friend of sinners.

But he also died on a cross, his life and death fulfilled many prophecies, and he became the Saviour of the world, “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8), the sacrifice for sin (I John 2:2).  But what does that mean?  Jesus legally, in the justice court of heaven, solved the legal problem of how to reconcile a holy God with sinful man.  When you get through the theological understanding, that is the bottom line.  That is the message of Easter. Understand the message of Easter, and be born again.

2 Corinthians 5:20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

Isaiah 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

 

The underlying forces of this world are either inspired by God or inspired by satan, the devil, the thief of all that is good.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

 

Man chooses, as Adam and Eve chose, to serve God or the devil.  On this earth, the devil continues the coup that was unsuccessful in heaven.  The devil tempted Jesus at the beginning of his ministry.

Luke 4:1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:

10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:

11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

 

The devil still tempts mankind to turn from God and worship satan instead.

When obvious evil is occurring in the earth, behind it, the devil is manipulating people who can be manipulated to succumb to evil suggestions.  Jesus came to return to mankind the ability, through the power of the Blood of Jesus, the name of Jesus, the Word of God, and the redemptive work of Christ the ability, the strength, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil.  When there is outright evil, that is the opposite of overcoming the world, the flesh and the devil. (I John 2:12-17)

Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

 

The Bible gives us the knowledge and understanding of what is behind evil, and how to overcome it personally if we turn to the Lord Jesus Christ and become a child of God.

 


A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.

Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.
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True Change, Cultural Change

Jesus and Nicodemus

Nicodemus asks Jesus,

John 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

 

When one talks politics there are those who will say that the only true change can come from a change of heart, repentance and a new birth through Jesus Christ.

This is true.

But those who are born again must create cultural change.

Otherwise, the rabidity of the atheists, secularists, modernists, globalists…however you want to name them…in their lust for power, money, greed, and all the ills that go along with those unbridled objectives, will take over society and create a society where it is very difficult for believers to live.

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Sowing and Reaping

The Sower, Kew Gardens, London (4273200655)

mira66 from Norwich, Norfolk, England, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The term “sowing and reaping” is a familiar one.  It is often used in preaching, almost to the point of seeming gimmicky.

But actually, it is a fundamental principle.  It is dangerous to ignore the principle simply because it is a familiar topic.

It is one thing to know something, it is another to put it into practice.

Noah on the ark is a type of salvation.

Once Noah came off the ark, the first principle God established, after Noah gave an offering, was that of sowing and reaping.

2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

 

Genesis 8:15 And God spake unto Noah, saying,

16 Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee.

17 Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.

18 And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him:

19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.

20 And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

21 And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

 

When it is said that “Jesus did it all”,  it is necessary to understand that there is a difference between being born again and afterward growing into the life in Christ.   In the sense of being born again, it is true that Jesus did it all.  No baby births itself.  The ability to be born of the spirit of God is because of the redemptive work of Christ.   It is impossible to work one’s way to heaven.  You must be born again.

But once a baby is born, it grows, or should grow.

Likewise, a newborn “babe in Christ” should grow.

I Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

 

Part of growing in Christ is learning to walk in God’s ways.  Sowing and reaping is a mainstay of the kingdom of heaven.  There are many forms of sowing:  time, treasure, talent, words, prayer.

Even the world recognizes that if you want your ship to come in, you first have to send it out.

Ecclesiastes 11:1 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.


A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.

Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.
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The Leap to Experience

 

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How can you have faith in a God you cannot see?  How can you experience God?

Words can only point to an experience.   How can someone, for example, describe the smell of coffee?   The only way would be to sit a person down, and say, “I am going to open a can of coffee grounds, and when you smell it, that is the smell of coffee.”  There really is no way to describe the smell of coffee, but to lead a person to the experience, where ultimately, the person must experience the smell of coffee for himself or herself.

How does a child learn to ride a bike?  A parent may hold the child on the bike for a little while he or she is learning, the parent might catch the child if he or she begins to fall, the parent might tell the child to sit up straight and try to give some hints, but the child has to “catch” the experience himself or herself and learn to balance and pedal at the same time.

A teacher can try to organize the material, give some examples, but the student has to have the “light bulb” moment when the knowledge catches on.

And so it is with God and faith.  Apologetics and those who work in that discipline can give you the historical facts.  Archeologists can confirm Biblical history.

You can learn of the fulfilled prophecies in the Old Testament that point to Christ.  The prophet Micah said he would be born in Bethlehem.  Jesus was born in Bethlehem.  The prophet Isaiah described the redemptive work of Christ in Isaiah 53.  Many other prophecies were fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ.

Like the various aids and hints on riding a bike, the scriptures, the testimonies, the law helps guide a person to the reality of Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

 

Isaiah 9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

Matthew 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

 

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

18 No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.

21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.

22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

 


A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.

Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.
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The Importance of the Bible

I Peter 2:2 as newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, that with it you may grow,

 

The newborn baby refers to someone who has been born again.

 

John 3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 The same came to him by night, and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.”

3 Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see God’s Kingdom.”

4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

5 Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ 8 The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Psalm 17:4 As for the deeds of men, by the word of your lips,
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.

Psalm 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.


A blog post can only introduce a topic but not cover it in depth. For more study on various topics, click here for links to various Christian ministries.

Depending on the ministry, there may be online church services, YouTube videos, podcasts, radio programs, books, teaching, or more. You have to seek out what they have.
Continue Reading